Man City sign teenage midfielder Bouaddi in record $117m deal

Manchester City have signed highly rated teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a reported $117 million, with the 18-year-old seen as the club's long-term replacement for Rodri.

City said on Wednesday (26 August) that Bouaddi has signed a five-year contract. The deal is worth 95 million euros ($110 million), with another 5 million euros in possible add-ons.

The Moroccan international is a defensive midfielder and is expected to play a key role in City's midfield rebuild under new manager Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola.

Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, recently joined Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup.

City have already spent about $155 million on England midfielder Elliot Anderson. Bernardo Silva has also left after his contract expired, while Nico Gonzalez is reportedly close to joining Newcastle. British media reports also say City remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Bouaddi's transfer fee makes him the most expensive player ever sold by a French club, surpassing the 90 million-euro deal that took Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi club Al Hilal in 2023. It is also the biggest fee paid for a teenager in Premier League history.

"This is a very special day for me and my family," Bouaddi said. "I've watched City for many years, and I love their style of play."

Rising talent

Bouaddi has impressed with his calm passing, tactical awareness and maturity. He joined Lille's academy in 2021 and quickly became one of the club's brightest prospects.

Three days after turning 16, he became the youngest player to appear in a European competition when he featured against KI Klaksvik in the Europa Conference League.

Bouaddi was also once compared with former Lille star Eden Hazard, who later became a Premier League standout with Chelsea.

City's director of football Hugo Viana praised the teenager's potential.

"At just 18, he already has outstanding football intelligence and that will only improve under the guidance of Enzo," Viana said.

One area Bouaddi still needs to improve is scoring. He failed to score in 96 appearances for Lille and is yet to score in eight matches for Morocco.

"I am only 18. I am happy with the progress I have made so far, but I also know I can improve so much," he said.

Another major Lille sale

Lille have built a strong reputation for developing and selling young talent.

The club sold Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for 80 million euros in 2019, while Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen moved to Napoli for a similar fee the following year.

Manchester United paid 62 million euros for Lille defender Leny Yoro in 2024.

Last year, goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier joined Paris Saint-Germain for 40 million euros, while defender Bafode Diakite moved to Bournemouth for around the same amount.

Bouaddi could debut Friday

City opened their season with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, with two late goals giving Maresca a winning start after Guardiola's departure following a trophy-filled 10-year spell.

Maresca used central defender Marc Guehi as a holding midfielder in that match, highlighting City's lack of options in the position.

Bouaddi could make his City debut against Crystal Palace on Friday.